U Of M To Seek $170M From State For Building Plans

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — University of Minnesota regents are expected to approve a formal request to the Legislature for $170 million in building and renovation projects during their regular meeting Friday.

The 2011 capital budget request calls for the university to match the state’s contribution with nearly $40 million in bonds sold by the university for a total capital budget of $209 million.

The university would spend about $90 million to repair and upgrade existing buildings. The second-largest budget line, at $81 million, is the conversion of the Old Main Steam Plant on the Twin Cities campus into a multiple-use building with gas-fired turbines to generate electricity.

The regents are also expected to vote on President Eric Kaler’s pick for the next provost, Karen Hanson of Indiana University.

Are they still paying off the football stadium that the people of Minnesota helped pay for? Now they are asking for 170 million, and the students wonder why the cost of college keeps going up. They can’t afford to pay for it so they take a loan and then charge the students more so they can pay it off.